Get Out of the Cold and in Touch with the Earth at Stone Barns in NY

Looking for something new and educational to do with the family this winter? A few months back our Restaurant of the Week was Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York and we recently received a newsletter from them announcing that they would be hosting a number of programs over the next few months. Most of the programs are family oriented and they are reasonably priced as well (some of them are even free). From collecting eggs to making your own mozzarella to a multi-course meal featuring several olive oils, there’s something for everyone at the Stone Barns this winter. In addition, every Saturday and Sunday there’s an Insider’s Tour that shows you a behind-the-scenes look at the agricultural center and they also have a new monthly event featuring a Community Meeting where everyone is welcome to join the farm and kitchen staff at Stone Barns to share their thoughts. Visit their website for specific details and to register. ::Stone Barns Center for Food & AgricultureContinue reading for a list of upcoming events at Stone Barns…Insider's Tour, Fridays & Saturdays Our most intensive tour is an intimate, behind-the-scenes view of Stone Barns with one of our farm or program staff. Get a sneak peek upstairs in the hay loft, get up close and personal with the livestock, or take a walk through the greenhouse and planting fields. Let us share with you our favorite places at Stone Barns.

Chicken & Egg Chore, Saturdays Get up close and personal with Stone Barns' hardest working ladies: our laying hens. Help feed the chickens and have the experience of collecting a freshly laid egg from the nest. A must for all aspiring farmers! All ages are welcome with parent(s).

Make Your Own Mozzarella!, Sunday 2/12/2006 Join Nena Johnson, our public programs manager, in our Resource Center, for hands-on fun as we make our own mozzarella to take home! All ages welcome.

Garden Series, Workshop II: Winter Greenhouse, Saturday 2/18/2006 Whether you've got a windowsill herb garden or a half-acre greenhouse to nurture, what do you do during the cold winter months? Learn about plant propagation and winter growing, enabling you to continue harvesting though the winter and to get a head start on planning for the spring.

Olive Oil, Wine & Jams: a Q & A with prolific purveyors, Ridgely Evers & Colleen McGlynn, Sunday 2/19/2006 Join us in the Hay Barn as we tap the minds of DaVero Olive Oil's founders, Ridgely Evers & Colleen McGlynn. Hear the trials, tribulations & triumphs of everything from cultivating olive trees to opening up their Plaza Farms store with other local artisans in Healdsburg, California. Afterward, join us for a special dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns featuring some of DaVero's premiere offerings.

DaVero Olive Oil Dinner, Sunday 2/19/2006 Stone Barns is pleased to welcome Ridgely Evers & Colleen McGlynn of DaVero Oils for a very special dinner. Enjoy a multi-course meal featuring several DaVero oils, & hear from the producers themselves about olive cultivation, oil production & the ins & outs of the business. Ridgely Evers has owned Olive Ridge Ranch in northern California for over 20 years & has spent much of his career in business. Colleen McGlynn is an accomplished chef & restraunteur. Together, their varied experience has created a product that Mario Batali calls "golden green elixir." Their oils can be found in over 100 fine restaurants nationwide. DaVero was the first American oil to win a blind taste test in Italy & continues to be a sought-after ingredient by chefs.

Garden Series, Workshop III: Mushrooms, Saturday 3/18/2006 Fresh mushrooms are not only nutritious and versatile, they are also fun to grow. Learn the practices of cultivating different types of fungi including shiitake, maitake, and oyster mushrooms. You'll eat mushrooms and take home some fabulous mushroom recipes from Blue Hill at Stone Barns chef, Dan Barber!

New Monthly Event!Stone Barns Community Meeting, Wednesday 3/8/2006Stone Barns would like to invite our growing community to the first of our monthly, issues-based gatherings in the Hay Barn. Program, farm & kitchen staff will share thoughts, ideas & opinions on current educational, agricultural & culinary trends, as well as welcome a varied roster of guests to share their expertise on everything from greenmarkets & CSAs, to farm policy & education. Through these meetings & exchange of ideas, we will continue to foster a sense of community that extends beyond our beautiful stone walls & out into the area at large.